Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 128083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
She almost laughed. Almost. He was still the same Hollis. Which was to say, he was still a self-involved dick. “No. I’m not writing a book.”
He walked to the minifridge and grabbed a water like she’d done, uncapped it, and took a long drink. He studied her as he screwed the cap back on. “You should. It’d almost surely be a bestseller. The public ate up your story. To hear it from the horse’s mouth—”
“I’m here about our child.”
That shut him up. His mouth opened slightly, and his hands froze where they were still twisting the bottle cap.
“Did you ever think about your child? Did you wonder if it was a boy or a girl? Did you wonder if I kept him or gave him away?”
His hand began moving slowly, and his expression recovered more quickly, morphing into a confused innocence. Hollis’s politely baffled look. “My child?” He tilted his head. “I’m sorry—”
She did laugh then, setting the water bottle on the nearest surface so she could rub her temples. “Oh my God, you really did convince yourself the baby wasn’t yours?”
“The baby . . . Cami, are we really going to rehash all those lies?” He sighed. “You’re still unwell.”
“Unwell? Are you serious?”
He turned and set his water bottle down, too, and when he faced her, she saw the flare of anger. “Did you get a paternity test?”
“No. I didn’t need one.”
“My God. The things I deal with.” He tilted his head back and groaned, a long-suffering sound, as if she was just another unhinged fan he had to endure in a long line of psychotic admirers who claimed to have had his baby.
The door, still slightly ajar, squeaked open, causing her a moment of surprise as it swung slowly to reveal a woman. “I’m sorry,” she said, and Cami recognized her as the beautiful blond she’d seen on TV with Hollis. His fiancée, if she was remembering correctly.
Hollis practically flew from where he was standing to her side. “Seraphina. Don’t be sorry. Come in and meet an old friend, Cami Cortlandt.”
Seraphina looked back and forth between them, a small wrinkle between her arched brows, clearly sensing the tension. But she gave Cami a warm smile as she stepped forward with her hand outstretched. “An old friend. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting many people from Hollis’s past. So good to make your acquaintance.” Cami took Seraphina’s slim hand. Her nails were perfectly manicured, and a diamond engagement ring sparkled on her finger. “Will you be joining us for dinner? There’s plenty of—”
“Unfortunately, Cami’s leaving right after this,” Hollis said. “Another time.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Seraphina said. “Well, next time then.” She smiled once more and for a moment they all stood there, staring awkwardly at each other.
Finally, Hollis turned to his fiancée. “Sweetheart, I’ll meet you in the car. I just need a minute.”
That tiny wrinkle between her brows appeared again. She glanced from Hollis to Cami, fiddling with the massive ring on her slender finger. She looked torn and insecure. She cast her eyes down momentarily and then looked up at Hollis. “Okay then . . . I’ll just . . . wait for you there. Cami, again, nice to meet you.”
“You too, Seraphina.” She was the type of woman Hollis wanted. Meek and unquestioning. Beautiful and agreeable. Cami never could have been that—not long-term anyway. And for the briefest of moments, she wondered if Seraphina ever felt like a phony too.
Seraphina turned and left the room, the click of her heels disappearing down the hall. Hollis turned back to Cami. “Listen, I don’t have any more time for this. What is it you want? Money?”
“Money? For what? You just insisted I was a liar.”
His jaw clenched, and he stepped forward threateningly. She was tempted to step back but held her ground. “It doesn’t matter. Jesus Christ, do you know what this might do to me? Even the hint of this. It’s the last fucking thing I need.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” she said.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I’m not going to go public with any accusations or ask you to take any tests,” she said. “I had a baby boy. I put him up for adoption, but his adoptive family died. He’s back with me now, and I wanted you to know. Whether you believe it or not, he’s your son. If you don’t want anything to do with him, that’s fine. Your loss. Again, I just wanted you to know. And I needed to ask if you were contacted by anyone asking if you wanted a do-over?”
Hollis blinked and gave his head a small shake as though trying to catch up with all she’d just said. She honestly couldn’t blame him. She’d just said a lot. And if he was being honest and had convinced himself that he didn’t have a child, then she’d expect him to need a moment.